Changing from JB to JA and vice versa

lolo62

Hi I work casual part time in a school and this (academic) year due to low hours in my employment I set up a couple of hours self employed.

From September to January I was receiving Jobseekers Benefit for the 3 days I wasn't working. Got a call in January from SW saying my jobseekers claim had 'run out'. Met an inspector who did a means test and I was put on Jobseekers Allowance. I lost about 73 euro a week in the process.

The system boggles my mind every time I try to understand it. Can anyone explain why you are changed from jobseekers benefit to allowance? And can you be changed back after a certain amount of time?
I know it has something to do with stamps. I have been employed consistently..except for summer hols etc so always paying stamps.
I'm wondering if after a certain amount of time I will have built up enough stamps to go back on benefit?


Many thanks for any help!

sierra117x

Hey

If you paid 104 contributions total you get it for 156 days (based on 6 days per week) and if you paid 260 or more you get it for 234 days (also 6 per week). Once your time runs out you can move to jsa or re-qualify. To do this you need to pay 13 cons from day 156 of your claim (so 13 weeks worked basically ) and have what's called a subloss.

A subloss is basically you earn less and work less days than you normally do. So if you found 13 weeks work at say 5 days a week and then went to 3 days or less ( or went totally unemployed) you would have a subloss and could sign back onto jb . This subloss really only applies Part time workers to make sure they don't just constantly re-qualify and continue working 2/3 days a week etc. Most other people automatically have a subloss if they had worked enough to re-qualify.

lolo62

sierra117x wrote: »

Hey

If you paid 104 contributions total you get it for 156 days (based on 6 days per week) and if you paid 260 or more you get it for 234 days (also 6 per week). Once your time runs out you can move to jsa or re-qualify. To do this you need to pay 13 cons from day 156 of your claim (so 13 weeks worked basically ) and have what's called a subloss.

A subloss is basically you earn less and work less days than you normally do. So if you found 13 weeks work at say 5 days a week and then went to 3 days or less ( or went totally unemployed) you would have a subloss and could sign back onto jb . This subloss really only applies Part time workers to make sure they don't just constantly re-qualify and continue working 2/3 days a week etc. Most other people automatically have a subloss if they had worked enough to re-qualify.

OK that makes sense. I wouldn't requalify then even if I have paid enough stamps as I haven't had a subloss. Haven't had an increase either is the tricky thing!
Thanks for explaining it to me, I really appreciate it.

sierra117x

Actually your subloss is defined by your average. Say we take you over a 52 week period you work an average of 2 days a week for the whole year( factoring in that you say work 3/4 days normally but then 0 days during breaks etc). Any week you work less than 2 days you have a subloss. So for break periods at the very least you should qualify for benefit.

If your nil means there's no good reason to switch however if you are means assessed making the switch could be worth while. Your local office should really be able to advise you better so you should approach them with these points and ask about your average etc

lolo62

sierra117x wrote: »

Actually your subloss is defined by your average. Say we take you over a 52 week period you work an average of 2 days a week for the whole year( factoring in that you say work 3/4 days normally but then 0 days during breaks etc). Any week you work less than 2 days you have a subloss. So for break periods at the very least you should qualify for benefit.

If your nil means there's no good reason to switch however if you are means assessed making the switch could be worth while. Your local office should really be able to advise you better so you should approach them with these points and ask about your average etc

My jobseekers benefit claim ran out and now I'm means tested for the allowance. I haven't had a subloss so don't requalify for benefit.
I was told I should qualify for rent allowance in January. Since I had income between January and June and no difficulty paying my rent then I didn't apply until now.
At dublin city council I was told I can only apply for hap scheme that there's no rent allowance any more..since March. My landlord wont do the hap scheme but would have done rent allowance.
It seems I shot myself in the foot by not applying back in January when I was moved to jobseekers allowance as now with the hap compulsory, I can't get any assistance.
I am very happy in my home and have been here 7 years. I don't plan on staying on benefits for long as I am in the process of setting up a music school. This is my self employment but it takes a couple of years to get established.
I went out on my own to make up the hours lost in the school I'm employed at, where there has been a change over over management 3 times in 5 years. I just don't seem to fit into any of the boxes within the system and wish I never went self employed now, although I had no choice.

sierra117x

I don't know anything about self employment rent or hap so I won't even try and help answer any of that. I know applications for lots of claims can be backdated though so you could always try for that ?

sierra117x

I actually asked around for you a bit about rent allowance. The council don't actually administer rent allowance it's dealt with by the community welfare service. Your local office should know where you go for rent. I would go and ask them about it before you give up all hope. Citizens information while not being 100% accurate ( they have a lot of schemes to cover in fairness ) are usually great to ask about these things. The likes of myself and the council only have second hand knowledge.

wifey28

Rent allowance has been replaced by hap. There are very few cases that will get you rent allowance now. The only one I know of being it was my circumstance, was my husbandwas made redundant 2 yrs ago and we were granted temporary rent allowance. It was actually classed as a supplementary allowance and could be cut at any time. And we were only granted this as our rent was only 35 euro above the limit and there was no way we could afford 935 rent a month whenour entire sw payment for a month was just about 1100 for a family with 2 young kids.

We also tried to apply for hap and were told wewould have to accept a propertywecouldnt afford, as it was over the limit (everything is in cork its mad!) and theywould let us know within 3 months if they would approve us for atop up! Even knowing we couldnt afford this property witout the topped up hap.

they also wouldnt even approve the hap until wehad signed a lease! It was all a bit stupid tbh.

Luckily for us we were offered a council house due to my health issues in late april just 2 weeks before our rent allowance was completely cut off!

lolo62

sierra117x wrote: »

I actually asked around for you a bit about rent allowance. The council don't actually administer rent allowance it's dealt with by the community welfare service. Your local office should know where you go for rent. I would go and ask them about it before you give up all hope. Citizens information while not being 100% accurate ( they have a lot of schemes to cover in fairness ) are usually great to ask about these things. The likes of myself and the council only have second hand knowledge.

Thanks very much. I might actually put through the rent allowance application anyway. I got the form from my local office, which is in Dublin city council, so maybe they are still putting some through. Maybe since I would have qualified in January they will be able to do something. Long shot but who knows...maybe I'll get lucky.

Conall Cernach

I can't understand a Landlord accepting RS but not HAP. HAP is paid directly to landlords so he'll never miss a payment.